Florida Keys Blue Water Fishing
A fishing charter in the Florida Keys would not be complete without a trip to the blue water for coastal pelagics with high quality food value.
Dolphin, blackfin tuna and wahoo are all found on both the Atlantic and gulf sides of the islands, although dolphin and wahoo are typically out of reach of Keys anglers on the gulf side.
Dolphin (mahi-mahi, not Flipper) are very colorful and highly acrobatic when hooked. Relatively easy to catch using a variety of methods, including trolling and live bait fishing, they will respond to both artificial and natural baits. They obtain sizes up to 75 pounds or more.
Blackfin tuna can be found schooled up behind shrimp boats in the Gulf of Mexico as well as in Atlantic depths up to 1,000 feet, where you can target them by trolling sea mounts and deep water wrecks. They will take a variety of artificial and live baits as well as natural trolled baits.
Wahoo is one of the speediest of the Florida Keys pelagics and can achieve speeds of 100 mph. The average specimen in the Keys goes 25 to 30 pounds, with some achieving weights of 70 pounds or greater. Most are taken trolling artificials at high speed, although quite succumb to live baits rigged on wire.
